Jackalope Theatre Company to Present THIRST: A CLIMATE CHANGE THEATRE ACTION

Jackalope Theatre Company is proud to present Thirst: A Climate Change Theatre Action, as part of the Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA), a series of worldwide readings and performances intended to bring awareness to, and foster discussion around, climate change in November and December 2015. This action is in support of the United Nations 2015 Paris Climate Conference.

Thirst will be presented on Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30pm in The Frontier, 1106 W Thorndale. Tickets are $10 and are available via jackalopetheatre.org. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Chicago Wilderness.

Organized by NoPassport, The Arctic Cycle, and Theatre Without Borders, the main goal of the project is to invite as many people as possible, who may not otherwise pay attention to this history-in-the-making event, to participate in a global conversation. Modeled on previous NoPassport theatre actions focused on gun control and the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill, CCTA draws on the expertise and resources of local artists, while being global in scope and uniting multiple countries and culture around a common issue.

"Jackalope is honored to help to bring more attention to the pressing and dire issue of climate change," says Jackalope Artistic Director Gus Menary. "Our company prides itself on telling stories about what it means to be an American, and we can think of few things more important for Americans to do than participate in this conversation."

"We've all heard the adage, 'think global, act local,' adds co-director Diana Raiselis. "In presenting this night of international stories - told with a Chicago and Jackalope twist - we are reaching for the idea that local change can contribute to a global movement."

CCTA has curated a collection of 1-5 minute plays, poems and songs by 50 writers from all six livable continents, curated by Caridad Svich (playwright, 2012 OBIE for Lifetime Achievement & NoPassport), Chantal Bilodeau (playwright, recipient Woodward International Playwriting Prize & The Arctic Cycle) and Elaine Avila (playwright, recipient Disquiet International Literary Program Playwriting Award & Theatre Without Borders). In November and December, over 70 collaborators around the world will host events ranging from readings in classrooms to day-long festivals, from films and radio programs to site-specific performances by glaciers.

From this collection, Jackalope Theatre Company will present an evening of short plays and poems by 9 writers from seven countries, along with a featured segment with Jackalope's own Pat Whalen (Good Evening with Pat Whalen).

Participating Playwrights include Kendra Fanconi (Canada), Naomi Iizuka (US), Amahl Khouri (Jordan), Abhishek Majumdar (India), Sitawa Namwalie (Kenya), Elyne Quan (Canada), Silvia Peláez (Mexico), August Shulenburg (United States), and Elspeth Tilley (New Zealand).

Thirst is co-curated and co-directed by Kaiser Ahmed and Diana Raiselis, and will be presented on Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30pm in The Frontier, 1106 W Thorndale.

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